Baramati bypoll: Sunetra Pawar set to win unopposed after Congress withdraws candidate

PTC Web Desk: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is likely to be elected unopposed in the upcoming Baramati bypoll, after the Congress decided to withdraw its candidate. The party said the move was made as a gesture of respect for her late husband, Ajit Pawar, who passed away earlier this year in a plane crash.

The bypoll is scheduled to take place on April 23. On the final day for withdrawal of nominations, Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal confirmed that the party’s candidate, Amar More, would step aside from the contest.

Ajit Pawar, who was serving as the Deputy Chief Minister and Baramati MLA at the time, died in January when his aircraft crashed while approaching Baramati. Following his death, Sunetra Pawar was appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister a month later.

Baramati has long been considered a stronghold of the Pawar family. Ajit Pawar had represented the constituency since 1991, while before him, the seat was held by his uncle Sharad Pawar. At present, the family also holds the Baramati parliamentary seat, represented by Supriya Sule.

Explaining the party’s decision, Sapkal said the Congress had initially entered the race to contest on ideological grounds, raising concerns about the functioning of the Election Commission. However, the party later chose to withdraw its candidate to honour Ajit Pawar’s past association with Congress-led governments in the state.